communiqué Nintendo :
A URUGUAYAN COUNTERFEITER IS ORDERED TO PAY NINTENDO 2.5 MILLION U.S.
DOLLARS
Montevideo, Uruguay, July 5, 2007 - A Uruguayan Civil Court Judge
recently ordered a major counterfeiter of Nintendo video game products
to pay Nintendo 2.5 million U.S. dollars in damages and legal expenses.
The Court determined that the offender and three of his related
corporations, were responsible for the sale and distribution of tens of
thousands of counterfeit Nintendo products.
In 2001, the National Board of Intelligence raided four retail shops and
a warehouse, seizing seven truck loads of counterfeit Nintendo video
game products in Montevideo. Approximately 30,000 counterfeit Nintendo
products were confiscated and valued at over one million US dollars. The
seizure was reportedly the largest carried out in Uruguay of counterfeit
video game products. A principal owner was identified for both the
retail shops and the warehouse. Following the seizure, the owner was
criminally charged with trademark counterfeiting. Curiously, the
criminal trial ended in 2003 with the granting of an unexplained
executive pardon or "gracia".
In addition to the criminal charges, Nintendo filed a civil action
against the owner and his businesses, claiming he was selling and
distributing counterfeit Nintendo products on a large scale, obtaining
sizeable profits, and damaging Nintendo's reputation. After years of
litigation, Nintendo applauds the Court's decision as it serves as an
extraordinary example of justice against intellectual property crimes.
Nintendo is pleased that this major counterfeiter will finally have to
pay for his illegal activities.
This action exemplifies Nintendo's commitment to combat the
international problem of product piracy," says Jodi Daugherty, senior
director, anti-piracy, Nintendo of America. "These types of illegal
operations simply will not be tolerated and Nintendo will do everything
in its power to protect its business and its customers."
Les CD audio sont ouvertement vendus dans la rue et toujours des copies... mais du Nintendo ^^
